What it means
The coronary arteryKOR-uh-nair-ee AR-ter-eeOne of the blood vessels on the surface of the heart that bring oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle.Full entry carry blood to the heart muscle itself. In this disease, fatty plaque builds up inside them (atherosclerosisath-er-oh-skluh-ROH-sisA buildup of fatty deposits (plaque) inside the walls of the arteries.ather/o fatty pastescler/o hard-osis conditionFull entry ) and narrows them, so less blood gets through. The heart muscle may not get enough oxygen during effort, which causes chest pain (angina). If a plaque breaks and a clot blocks the artery, the result is a myocardial infarctionmy-oh-KAR-dee-ul in-FARK-shunDeath of part of the heart muscle because its blood supply is blocked; a heart attack.my/o musclecardi/o heart-al having to do withinfarct area of dead tissueFull entry .
For the nurse
Teach the risk factors that can change: smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, little exercise and excess weight. Teach the client to report chest pain or pressure at once and how to use nitroglycerin if it is ordered.
In a chart
"History of CAD with stent to the LAD in 2022; denies chest pain today."
At a glance
| Abbreviations | CAD |
|---|---|
| Spanish | enfermedad de las arterias coronarias |
| Also written | CAD, coronary heart disease |
Related terms
myocardial infarction
Death of part of the heart muscle because its blood supply is blocked; a heart attack.
coronary artery
One of the blood vessels on the surface of the heart that bring oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle.
ischemia
Too little blood flow to a part of the body, so the tissue does not get enough oxygen.
atherosclerosis
A buildup of fatty deposits (plaque) inside the walls of the arteries.